The New York Jets benched struggling quarterback Zach Wilson and promoted backup quarterback Tim Boyle as the starter in Week 12. The Jets host the Miami Dolphins this week in the NFL’s first Black Friday game on the day after Thanksgiving.
Wilson began the season as a backup quarterback, but he came off the bench in the first game of the season after future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles against the Buffalo Bills. Wilson went 3-6 as a starter this season since leading the Jets to victory in Week 1.
The Jets made a decision to stick with Wilson as their starter instead of adding a new quarterback in a trade, or signing a free agent.
Many fans wanted the Jets to acquire Josh Dobbs ahead of the trade deadline, but the Arizona Cardinals traded Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings after Kirk Cousins blew out his Achilles.
Trevor Siemian will be the backup quarterback behind Boyle on Sunday. Wilson was demoted to third-string as the emergency quarterback.
Zach Wilson Now 11-20 as a Starter
After leading the Jets to an upset victory over the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, Wilson struggled over the last month.
The Jets dropped three games in a row and scored only 24 total points. They scored six points in a loss against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, and scored only six points in an embarrassing blowout against the Bills in Week 11.
Buffalo was playing their first game since they fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, and the revamped Bills scored 32 points against the Jets’ tenacious defense.
Head coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson after another disastrous performance against the Bills. Boyle came off the bench to shake things up, but he didn’t look good in a relief appearance.
On Monday afternoon, Saleh officially benched Wilson and announced Boyle as the starter against the Dolphins in Week 12.
It’s not all on Zach, but there are things that he needs to be better at,” Saleh told reporters. “This is just another situation to see if we can get another guy an opportunity to see if something can change.”
Wilson completed 59.2% of his passes and threw only six touchdowns this season. He was sacked 38 times and tossed seven interceptions. He’s ranked #30 on ESPN with a QBR rating of 30.1
The Jets average only 15.0 points per game this season, which is the third-lowest in the NFL. The passing attack averages 170.5 yards per game, which is third-worst in the NFL behind the Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers’ offense was so anemic that they finally fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
The Jets selected Wilson with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He went 11-20 as a starter with 21 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Desperate Jets Turn to Tim Boyle
Boyle has a 0-3 record as a starter in the NFL. He started a trio of games for the Detroit Lions in 2021, throwing three touchdowns and six interceptions.
Boyle completed 7-of-14 passes for 33 yards and one interception against the Bills.
“The main thing that stuck out was his confidence in the huddle,” said tight end Tyler Conklin. “He commanded the huddle really well. He’s decisive getting the ball out of his hands. Those two things stuck out.”
Boyle lacks overall experience, but the Jets like his ability to get rid of the ball in an expedited manner. The Jets have a terrible offensive line, and Wilson was slow to make decisions and unleash the ball. Wilson averaged 2.83 seconds per pass this season, while Boyle averaged 2.08 seconds per pass in the preseason. Against the Bills on Sunday, Boyle averaged 2.38 seconds per pass.
Decisiveness is a part of my game that I lean on, just trying to get the ball out, not forcing things in coverage,” Boyle told The Athletic. “I just get the ball out quick. It takes a lot of heat off the O-line. It gets our playmakers the ball in space. We have some guys that can make some people miss.”
Boyle spent several seasons as a third-string quarterback with the Green Bay Packers behind Rodgers and backup Jordan Love. He’s good friends with Rodgers, which is one of the reasons he signed with the Jets in the offseason. He was also familiar with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s playbook, who was the former OC with the Packers.
Betting Gang Green
If the season ended today, the Dolphins (7-3) would secure the #4 seed in the AFC.
The Jets are a +10 home underdog against the Dolphins this week. This inaugural Black Friday game marks the first time the division rivals meet this season. They play again in Miami in Week 15.
The Dolphins are 6-4 against the point spread this season, and the Jets are 4-5-1 ATS.
The Jets are 7-3 in points total unders this season. With so many rookie quarterbacks and backups thrust into action, betting the under has been a profitable venture this season with a 57.1% success rate. Primetime unders are also hitting at an alarming rate, and they’re now 27-8 this season.
The Jets (4-6) are a long shot to make the playoffs at +1000 odds, but a betting favorite to miss the postseason at -2000 odds. The Jets have a 1% chance to qualify for the postseason, according to the latest playoff projection by Upshot.
The Dolphins are the betting favorite to win the AFC East at -650 odds, followed by the Buffalo Bills (+450), the Jets (+4000), and the New England Patriots (+50000).
The Jets saw a spike in the future market across the board after they acquired Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. They also got an odds bump after they debuted on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” reality series.
The Jets saw their odds plummet after Rodgers tore his Achilles. During the recent losing streak, the Jets saw their futures reach a new low at +18000 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII.
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